


Hide, so I can seeQ

by CeNedraRiva



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Hide and Seek, Hiding in Plain Sight, Jean-luc is a Q, M/M, Mutual Pining, Omnipotence, Other, Q Continuum, Secret Identity, Telepathy, especially q, the Q like playing games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-07-30 01:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20088673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeNedraRiva/pseuds/CeNedraRiva
Summary: Long ago, before humanity was but a glimmer in the eye of the universe, there existed the Q. But our story starts much later, when one particular Q made a bet with another Q to go a whole human lifetime without using their powers. Funnily enough, that exact “human” happened to be the one named Jean-Luc Picard, who would famously go on to lead the first contact between the Q and Humanity. What kismet!





	1. Chapter 1

It goes like this.

Many years ago, when he was young and foolish, Jean-Luc Picard got into a fight he couldn’t win. This particular fight managed to have a profound effect on Jean-Luc, and not simply because it ended with him impaled through the chest.

Who knows where our dear Jean-Luc many have ended up if he’d never been stabbed through his myocardial tissue! Perhaps he would have become a meek middle-management astrotelemetrist living a remarkably unremarkable life, considering his posting was on a ship that encountered the bizarre as regularly as the Enterprise did. Maybe instead, he would have become a captain of a different sort, brash and cocky and easily led by his so-called superiors as they warred for control of the definitely-not-an-empire they called the Federation. There’s even a chance Jean-Luc would have become captain of the Enterprise just in time to meet a delightful being by the name of Q, but there’s really no telling how that meeting would have gone. Ask again a different day, if you’re actually interested—rest assured it is not nearly as interesting a tale as the one you’re already reading.

One thing is certain.

If he hadn’t had a near-death experience that was far closer to death than any mortal being would find comfortable, Jean-Luc Picard would have made an absolute fool of himself the moment his frankly captivating friend Q made his presence known.

And honestly, we wouldn’t have much of a story. 

Luckily for everyone involved, youthfully arrogant Johnny Picard did pick a fight he couldn’t win, and a blade ruined his little human heart for good. So it was many decades before that encounter at Farpoint that Jean-Luc, close to death, regained the omnipotence and omniscience of a Q, as well as promptly remembering why he had locked away that part of his nature in the first place. A simple bet, one that Jean-Luc was still very determined he could win, as long as he avoided using his powers.

And so when, at Farpoint, Jean-Luc met one of the Q, he wasn’t knocked flat by a sudden onslaught of omniscience and billions of years worth of memories, and he didn’t lose control of his powers and shift form to become a nebula, consequently destroying the Enterprise-D and its crew, which would have been very embarrassing for all involved. Instead, Jean-Luc Picard was fully able to appreciate the irony that the very same Q who Jean-Luc had made his bet with decades before just happened to be the one assigned to measure the worth of humanity, and that this Q’s chosen representative example of humanity wasn’t remotely human at all.

* * *

Really, everything started another 300 years before that first encounter. Or perhaps, more accurately, it all started several millennia before that with the advent of humanity. In the strictest sense, it all began around the same time that Time was created, but that’s a lot of history to cover in less than 15 billion words.

The bare essentials are that 300 years ago, The-Q-That-Would-Become-Jean-Luc-Picard and another Q, affectionately named Next-Of-Kin-To-Chaos, were watching as a mortal civilisation crumbled and fell beneath the weight of its own corruption, only a few short decades before they would have achieved interstellar travel. This wasn’t a particularly uncommon occurrence. Q-Who’ll-Be-Jean-Luc and Q-Akin-To-Chaos were both rather fond of mortals, and they had watched many civilizations grow and fall over the millennia, and generally, there were many more civilizations that ended up destroying themselves—most long before even managing to leave their atmospheres!—than there were those who achieved faster-than-light travel. Very few civilizations met the rest of the galaxy.

They were also arguing, which, again, wasn’t particularly uncommon. Chaotic-Q and Jean-LuQ rarely saw eye-to-eye, even during the few occasions when they were both wearing physical forms. Everything from morality and the nature of the psyche to the exact mass of hydrogen at the centre of a singularity were up for discussion.

The current bone of contention, one that had been thoroughly gnawed by the both of them over their long existence, was how best to study a mortal race. Omniscience had its limits. Even knowing the entirely of a civilization’s history and culture didn’t really explain anything. For that, you needed to interact! Ask some questions, taste the local cuisine, really get a feel of things! On that, they were both agreed, much to the consternation of their fellow Q, who in general preferred a “hands off” approach.

The real argument was about the best method to go about it.

Of course, Qaos knew the best way. Mortals were easy to predict, and without fail, the best way to get them to act on their true natures was to appear to them as a god. Nothing inspired truth like a little religious shock and awe – a miracle here, a natural disaster there, let the chips fall where they may.

Jean-LuQ’s preferred technique was a little gentler, it was true. Adopt the form of a native and just wander and interact, an unremarkable tourist exploring among the crowds, and yes, perhaps it was a little better for drawing out some of the nuance of a culture, but by The Continuum, it was slow! And what did it matter that they valued their elderly if the sudden appearance of an “Old God” was enough for their society to collapse into anarchy? What people did when they were panicking was always the closest to a natural instinct, revealing the true nature hidden beneath the masks of civility.

Jean-LuQ found it distasteful, pretending to be a god. No matter that by comparison, they really were as gods to most beings. Always striving to be modest, was Jean-LuQ, it was hardly becoming of a being as grand as a Q!

Never mind that Jean-LuQ was also one of the most prideful beings Qaos knew of! Arrogant in the best ways, utterly self-assured, yet still so determined to be humble! The contrast was a delight against Qaos’ senses.

“It’s a more genuine experience,” Jean-LuQ said, and Qaos groaned. “It is! Play-acting as a god is hardly conducive to gaining the perspective of a mortal.”

“But it's so much fun!”

“Not in my experience.”

“Well, that’s just because you take your godly duties far too seriously.”

“If I am to appear to them as a deity, then I assume a responsibility towards my followers. I cannot simply visit, then abandon them.”

“What did I just say?” Qaos laughed. “They’re mortals, my companion. Survivors! They’re not going to fall extinct just because you missed giving out a blessing or two.”

“You’re hardly in a position to comment, my dearest nuisance. Every one of your ‘godly’ visits to mortal civilisations has resulted in social upheaval.”

“True,” Qaos sang, twisting closer as Jean-LuQ watched with sardonic amusement. “but you can hardly claim that you experience things as a mortal does, simply because you take their form.”

“Not this argument again.”

“You claim to feel mortal fear, the passage of time, the hungers of the body, but do you really? When with less than a thought, you could render their living solar system to atomic-sized space dust, and back again in the next moment? How could you ever truly feel as a mortal does?”

“It is as close to their experience as I could approximate, given I am a Q.”

Qaos laughed again, but didn’t respond, trying instead to draw Jean-LuQ into a dance through a nearby stellar nursery. The doomed civilization had grown boring to watch from the moment they launched their nuclear missiles, and Jean-LuQ left them with only minimal prompting.

Yet another benefit of Qaos’ more objective approach? You didn’t get nearly so attached to the little mortals, who were all bound to die in a relative instant, even if their species managed not to wipe themselves out. Jean-LuQ knew better. It happened every time, that damned empathy. And worse was knowing you could interfere, you could fix it all, get rid of their weapons and force them to peace, but that the moment you left they’d just try to destroy themselves all over again.

Mortals were idiots. Still fun to watch, though.

Jean-LuQ’s low mood began to wear away as they darted through the clouds of space dust and proto-star matter, sculpting it and sending it spinning. 

“I’m still right, even if it hurts a little more to let them go. My way is more effective,” Jean-LuQ said, apropos of nothing.

“Prove it.”

“It’s self-evident.”

“Afraid of a little wager?”

“Hardly,” Jean-LuQ replied, projecting irritated indifference. Between them, the stellar cloud had begun to collapse, quickly growing denser and hotter. Any moment now, or perhaps in another ten years, it would ignite and explode outwards, a brand-new star.

“Well, it occurs to me that there is a way to prove if your way is as effective as mine, but you won’t like it,” Qaos sang, circling Jean-LuQ, who focused even more intensely on the soon-to-be star. “Or maybe you’ll love it, you do so enjoy mortal company.”

Jean-LuQ didn’t answer, but it was difficult to project prolonged indifference when they were both aware of the underlying curiosity. After a few moments, Jean-LuQ discarded the useless façade.

“Care to elaborate?”

“If I win, what will you give me?”

“Now you’ve intrigued me. You’re really so confident?”

“Of course! Only a fool would take this bet. Honestly, I shouldn’t have even mentioned it, you’d never take it on.”

“Then I suppose I shall banish it from my mind and move on to other amusements.”

“You wound me! Is that all I am, a brief amusement to you?”

“And growing more irritating by the second.”

“You adore it.”

“Do I?”

Qaos was certain that there was no other being in the universe that could match that exact tone of indifferent, irritated affection. Jean-LuQ flickered away from the stellar nursery, leaving the proto-star to its fate, and reappeared on the other side of the galaxy, and Qaos followed closely.

“Oh, alright! You’ve dragged it out of me! Honestly, I was already planning on telling you, no need to nag!” Qaos laughed. “It simply occurs to me that you very much  _ could _ walk through the world as a mortal does, if you simply refuse to use and of the advantages provided us by our exquisite existence.”

This had the effect of rendering Jean-LuQ temporarily speechless, for whatever value that held when applied to a being that existed beyond the need for speech and could communicate solely through those higher channels unimaginable to a human mind.

“It is a challenge rooted in the absurd,” Jean-LuQ eventually said.

“What else would you expect from me, my darling?”

“Impossible by its very nature!”

“Well, it would hardly be a challenge if it were simple.”

“There isn’t a Q in existence that has managed to abstain in such a way!”

“Imagine how much fun it would be to rub your success in their metaphorical faces!”

“A fool’s wager…” Jean-LuQ murmured. 

It is a fact of life that we often long for what we can't have. A prize that lies just beyond easy reach is often far more enchanting than the one you can obtain easily, and far more satisfying to take. Whether it is a delicious treat saved for special occasions, a toy that belongs to someone else, or the answer to a difficult riddle. All good teases know this to be true. And Qaos is an excellent tease. 

So Qaos let the subject drop and teleported away with a smirk. 

Sure enough, only three decades later, Jean-LuQ tracked Qaos down again with a strategy to beat the so-called fool's wager.

The game was on. 


	2. Chapter 2

_ It was certainly a surprise to encounter a Q at all, _ Jean-Luc mused, watching as Q slinked around the bridge, dressed as a French Renaissance naval captain. It was a costume that could only have been borrowed from Jean-Luc’s memories — Q had never taken an interest in humanity before, they were too primitive to be of interest to him. Back when he had first made their bet, Jean-Luc had been fairly certain Humanity wouldn’t progress far enough to gain the notice of the Continuum for another few centuries, which was part of the reason he had chosen the species to hide among. 

It was a great achievement, a mark of the steadfast ingenuity of humankind, and Jean-Luc was very proud of them, but he would have greatly preferred it if Q had approached them for personal reasons — namely, that he had discovered Jean-Luc’s true identity and was determined to tempt him into losing their bet — rather than for official ones. As fond as he was of Q, and as delighted as he was to see him once more, there was no doubt that the entire crew was in a great deal of danger, as rather explicitly demonstrated by the attack on Lt. Torres, who lay frozen on the ground. 

“He would not have injured you. This device was set to stun, only,” Jean-Luc explained, presenting the hand phaser. Q, who had taken the form of a slightly taller white man with thick dark hair, gave Jean-Luc a brief, meaningful smirk. Internally, Jean-Luc cursed. He recognised that look _ (was that quite accurate, to say he recognised a look? Neither of them had existed in the physical plane for more than a few hours at a time, and never both as humans with human mannerisms. He recognised the feel of the “look”, perhaps, the mischief dancing behind Q’s eyes). _ Q must have noticed that he wasn’t nearly as terrified and unsettled as the other humans. Honestly, it was a little difficult to keep a scowl on his face when with every heartbeat, elation was attempting to flood his synapses. It had been nearly a century since they last met, and Jean-Luc had cut off all of his awareness of the Continuum when he was reborn as a human. It was the longest they had gone without mental contact in millenia, and now here he was, a presence so loud and bright that it was sparking against Jean-Luc’s psyche. With each breath he felt like he was falling into orbit around a star. 

“Knowing humans as thou dost, Captain, would thou allow thyself to be taken captive by them? Now, go back, or thou shalt most certainly die,” Q said, in a way that Jean-Luc might have taken as a sincere warning, had it not been accompanied by a very subtle but highly thorough mental probe. If he had been a true mortal, there would not be a single part of his mind left unturned. 

It was too late to conceal his own feelings — his own burning curiosity towards Q, the swell of attraction — so Jean-Luc left them for Q to examine. Knowing his companion, Q would interpret it as the beginnings of an infatuation, and focus his attention on Jean-Luc instead of the more vulnerable mortal crew. Q did love attracting adoration.

Besides which, Jean-Luc had long since hidden the aspects of his mind that went beyond humanity. The defences wouldn’t stand the scrupulous attention of a Q, but then again, what Q would suspect a simple human with a simple human mind could be a Q in disguise? You don’t search for what you don’t expect to exist.

The bluff seemed to work. Q prowled around Jean-Luc, jauntily mocking the ephemeral nature of mortality, before adjusting his costume to something slightly more “modern”, a war uniform of the 20th century. 

“That nonsense is centuries behind us,” Jean-Luc said, not having to feign exasperation. Q just had that sort of effect on others.

“But you can’t deny that you’re still a dangerous, savage child-race,” Q retorted.

“Most certainly I deny it! I agree we still were, when humans wore costumes like that 400 years ago—”

“At which time, you slaughtered millions, in silly arguments about how to divide the resources of your little world,” Q said, his voice dripping with condemnation. “And 400 years before that you were slaughtering one another in quarrels over tribal god images. Since then, there are no indications that humans will ever change.”

Jean-Luc had a rebuttal ready, but the words felt ill-fitting and ashen on his tongue. Ironic indeed, that he was the one now arguing in defense of Humanity, when he was neither truly human, nor fully convinced of his own words. Q’s accusations were painfully accurate. It was one of his best tricks, that talent for dredging the history of a race and plucking out all of their worst atrocities. Under normal circumstances, Jean-Luc would have fully agreed and felt the same disgust, the same condescension for humankind. From the ostensibly objective perspective of a Q, humans _ were _ savage, and dangerous, and 400 years — barely 16 generations — was not nearly enough to declare yourself evolved beyond such actions. At most, it indicated a peaceful spell in a long history of violence. And peacefulness was relative, anyway. Certainly there had been no civil wars in centuries now, but wars against other sentient races were still within living memory. 

Hadn’t he just been thinking, not minutes before, about how he had chosen Humanity to hide among specifically because he didn’t think they would develop enough to be worth notice, their savagery was the perfect camouflage? And now, here he was, half-heartedly arguing to defend his adopted species while internally delighted to be in the presence of his companion, when he knew very well that if they failed to impress Q, it could mean the destruction of humankind. 

Jean-Luc could not allow that. He had seen the good in humanity, experienced their brilliance! Their innovation! Their relentless will for self improvement and the betterment of their community, and the reckless empathy they employed at every turn. Victory in this matter was essential! And Jean-Luc would win, not as a Q winning over another Q, but as a human with all their limitations and limitless ingenuity!

“No. The same old story isn’t some endless cycle of violence, it is the one we’re meeting now; self-righteous life-forms who are eager not to learn, but to prosecute and judge whatever they can’t tolerate!” Jean-Luc declared. In his peripheral vision, Jean-Luc noticed the bridge crew standing taller, fortified by his words. 

Of course, things could never be so simple when dealing with Q. 

“What an interesting idea! Prosecute and judge! Suppose it turns out we understand you humans only too well,” Q chimed, smirking once more.

“We’ve no fear of what the true facts about us will reveal,”Jean-Luc answered, unable to resist the rather pointed jab. Unlike Humanity, who frequently faced hard truths about themselves and used it as the fuel for social change and improvement as a species, the Continuum as a group was rather bad at self-reflection, and had a terrible habit of stagnation. It was something Q and Jean-Luc had both found disgustingly hypocritical, and more than a little stifling. Jean-Luc Picard the Human Man would not know this, of course, so the insult remained a serendipitous coincidence., but one Q picked up on easily. Q’s mouth twitched to form a true smile, his eyes dancing, and Jean-Luc allowed himself a brief moment to feel smug, having nearly made Q break character, before Q plastered it over with his characteristic malevolent cheer. 

“Facts about you? Splendid, splendid, Captain! You’re a veritable fountain of good ideas! There are preparations to make, but when we next meet, we will proceed exactly as you just said,” Q said, giving a wink before teleporting away. 

Jean-Luc was quick to use the opportunity to mobilise his crew. This was the first part of the test - using the resources available to them to escape a hostile force. So Jean-Luc put away all the Q-like thoughts that Q had brought to the forefront of his mind, and submersed himself fully into the mindset of a regular human.

* * *

The thing was, even when a Q was as extreme as Jean-Luc about fitting into a mortal race, going so far as to fold away their powers and their limitless minds to fit within tiny bodies, closing their senses off until only the human ones remained, inducing amnesia so as not to be tempted to break abstinence or be driven mad by the stifling nature of mortality, it was impossible to fully break away from their intrinsic nature. 

The Q were curious. 

The Q were proud. 

The Q were powerful.

So it was that even before he regained his memories, Jean-Luc was a curious and proud person, who often sought out positions of power. Among his friends, he was the leader. At the Academy, he joined the Command track. It was a trend that would continue throughout his life, only ever tempered by his relentless curiosity. Starfleet and the allure of space travel captured his heart long before his teenage years. Jean-Luc had been a precocious child, driven by the need to discover and learn the hows and whys of everything he encountered. 

When you had lived life as a Q, had seen the vast wonders of the universe, created some of them yourself from scratch, well — the mundane wonders of a single little planet could hardly compare. There had never been any doubt that Jean-Luc would eventually go to space, and would likely die there too. 

Jean-Luc wondered if this would be the moment he perished (and won the bet!) as Q surrounded the Stardrive Section of the Enterprise-D with his impenetrable mesh netting and began to roughly shake the whole ship. It really was a rather melodramatic way to relocate them onto one of Q’s game-boards. 

Jean-Luc glanced around, taking in the jeering crowds dressed in 21st century clothing, the imposing architecture of the courthouse. Tasha Yar, Data, and Deanna Troi stood beside him, all making their own assessments. The entire stage was nothing but a pageant of shock and awe designed to intimidate, as exemplified by the guard firing loud automatic weaponry to quieten the crowd. 

“Careful, sir. This is not an illusion or a dream,” Troi cautioned as they waited for the judge. Jean-Luc nodded, warily eyeing the unruly crowds.

The judge arrived with appropriate aplomb and grandeur. No surprises that it was Q. He always loved a grand entrance. 

Q quirked an eyebrow, obviously picking up on Jean-Luc’s fond thought, and arranged himself to better show off the fine features of his chosen face, the lips a dark colour that Jean-Luc knew for a fact was _ not _ characteristic of fashion at the time, although it was attractive on him. What was wrong with a little flirtatious anachronism between supposed enemies? Had he designed this entire outfit to disrupt Jean-Luc’s focus? By the Entropy That Would One Day Consume All Things, this was not the time for dratted _ hormones _ to take over his brain function!

The tension grew serious when Tasha moved to subdue the guard who was threatening them with his weapon, and only escalated further when Q had the man murdered before them, executed by another guard, for losing the brief fight. It was sobering indeed, even when knowing that these people were little more than figments created to fill the room. Certainly they were real enough that Troi flinched from the psychic backlash of sensing someone die.

It was different, experiencing Q’s tests from the perspective of a lab rat. 

“The prisoners will not be harmed,” Q announced grandly, “-until they’re found guilty.”

“Can we assume this will be a fair trial?”

“Yes. Absolutely equitable.”

Well. That was an outright lie. As was immediately proven when Q summarily dismissed Data’s attempt at an opening argument, and his cruel response in the face of Tasha’s passionate defence of humanity. 

“You’ve got a lot to learn about humans if you think you can torture or frighten us into silence!” Jean-Luc snapped. “Will she live?”

“Uncertain. When he froze Lt Torres on the bridge, we had all the resources of sickbay to help thaw him out,” Data said. 

Jean-Luc suddenly felt very cold, and very small. It was no difficulty at all to risk his own life during this trial. The important part was to win, and if that involved recklessly challenging Q, drawing his ire, Jean-Luc was more than happy to do so. 

But it was not simply his own life at stake. Tasha might die here, frozen at the whim of an uncaring Q. The entire crew might be murdered before his eyes, as a punishment for Jean-Luc’s recklessness or as collateral damage. 

Jean-Luc already knew that. He _knew_ Q’s favourite methods, he knew Q loved to manipulate compassion and use it as leverage. And still, here he was, challenging Q as if they were on an equal footing, as if he had the capability to defend the mortals who were part of his crew. His omnipotence still existed, if only he chose to use it. At any moment, he could forfeit the bet and intervene. But what good would that do, when the Continuum would simply demand Humanity be tested again, this time without Jean-Luc on their side?

He had to be more careful. He had to treat this like any other hostile force. He had to save Tasha before she froze to death. 

Thankfully, Q had already handed him the key to her salvation. 

“You promised the prisoners would not be harmed! We plead nothing so long as you break your own rules,” Jean-Luc said. Q loved to cheat his own rules, but he tended to keep to them if you called him out on it.

“I suggest you centre your attention on this trial, Captain. It may be your only hope,” Q said dismissively.

“And I suggest you are now having second thoughts about it! You are considering that if you conduct a fair trial, which was your promise, you may lose.”

“Lose?!”

“Yes! _ Even though _ you’re judge and prosecutor.”

“And jury!”

“Accepted, so long as you keep to your agreement, and assaulting a prisoner is hardly a fair trial!”

Q held his gaze for a moment, considering. Jean-Luc didn’t look away, projecting sincerity, and his fear for Tasha Yar’s life.

“This is a merciful court,” Q decided, kissing his fingertips, and as he spread his hands out and towards Tasha, the frost receded. Jean-Luc breathed a sigh of relief.

“Continuing these proceedings, I must remind you that legal trickery is not permitted. This is a court of fact.”

“We humans know our past even when we’re ashamed of it. I recognise this court system, as the one that agreed with that line from Shakespeare: ‘Kill all the lawyers!’”

“Which was done.” 

“Leading to the rule, guilty until proven innocent.”

“Of course. Bringing the innocent to trial would be unfair!” Q crowed as he moved closer, leaning in until he only loomed above Jean-Luc by a few inches. “You will now answer to the charge of being a grievously savage race.”

So this was the nature of the latest game, a mere formalisation of the argument from before. It might be won by words, although judging by their setting, it would have to be an exceptionally great defense for Q to rule in their favour. And that was only if Q kept to his own rules for more than a few minutes. 

“Grievously savage could mean anything. I will answer only specific charges.”

“Are you certain you want a full disclosure of human ugliness? So be it, fool. Present the charges!” Q called out, retreating to his high perch above the court floor, where he lounged in the manner of one certain of victory. 

The bailiff stepped forwards, and said, “Criminal, you will read the charges to the court!” while offering an ancient model of a PADD, which Jean-Luc accepted. 

As he had expected, it was a long list of the historical atrocities of Humanity, the wars and war crimes and genocides of their past, the greed and destruction that had nearly led to the end of their world several times over, the eugenics and slavery and all the very worst of them, summed up in a neat little list. But, as Jean-Luc had suspected, there wasn’t very much of anything recent. The last 400 years had been a time of growing peace as the Federation was established, and it was spelled out in the growing gaps between the tragedies. The slaughter on Tarsus IV, the times of violent anarchy on some of the colony worlds, they were aberrations from the norm of the time. What this list made abundantly clear was that the trend towards peace had only grown stronger over the last centuries.

But it was unlikely Q would accept it as such, and in this game he held all the power. Jean-Luc needed some way to even the playing field, to give them a true chance at success. 

“I see no charges against _ us _, Your Honour,” Jean-Luc said after a moment, stalling for time. The crowd went wild, more from a blood hunger than through any solidarity they felt for Jean-Luc and his crew. In the original time this setting had been borrowed from, such insolence would be met with immediate execution and they all knew it. 

“You are out of order!” Q yelled, and the guards aimed their guns at Data and Troi. “Soldiers, you will press those triggers if this criminal answers with any word other than guilty.”

Jean-Luc glared, but didn’t speak.

“Criminal? How plead you?”

It wasn’t like he had any other option. He would not allow his friends to be killed due to his own stubborn nature. 

“Guilty...provisionally.” 

As expected, it caught Q’s attention. “The court will hear the provision.”

“We question whether this court is abiding by its own trial instructions. Have I your permission to have Commander Data repeat the record?”

“There will be no legal trickery—”

“These will be your own words, My Honour! What exactly followed His Honour’s statement that the prisoners will not be harmed?”

Data stood, and repeated their earlier words in their exact voices, highlighting exactly how unfair this trial had been so far. 

“Irrelevant testimony, entirely irrelevant.”

Jean-Luc was vividly aware of just how the next few minutes would play out. He had seen it a hundred times or more. Q would continue to poke at them, continue to act like he cared for their opinions, but it was clear the game had already grown boring to him. No amount of arguing would change the outcome of this trial, no matter how ingenious. If it kept going, they were doomed to lose. 

They needed a new game. 

“Alright! We agree there is evidence to support the court’s contention that humans have been savage. Therefore, I say test us!” The change was immediate. Q lit up, and the very energy of the room shifted to something brighter, more playful. Jean-Luc had him. “Test whether this is presently true of humans.”

“I see, I see,” Q murmured. “And so you petition the court to accept you and your comrades as proof of what humanity has become?”

“There must be many ways we can be tested. We have a long mission ahead of us—”

“Another brilliant suggestion, Captain, but your test hardly requires a long mission. Your immediate destination offers far more challenge than you can possibly imagine.”

It did? Farpoint Station did? What was it? What was the mystery of it, so beyond current human standards that it would be able to serve as a Q test? A race of aliens they hadn’t met yet? No, that alone wouldn’t be enough… would it? There were plenty of aliens that would baffle humanity if they ever came to meet. Or maybe it was a strange bit of space phenomena, a wormhole or a time vortex or an anomaly in the laws of reality and space-time, ohhh it had been too long since he had last seen a complex anomaly, he wasn’t even sure he would be able to puzzle one out while relying on human brain functions, their minds really weren’t built to comprehend Time in any other manner but linear—

“Yes,” Q said, interrupting his thoughts, although the spark in his eye sort of undermined the menace in his voice. It was clear Q had picked up on the nature of Jean-Luc’s thoughts, and he looked just as eager to share the puzzle as Jean-Luc was to solve it. For Humanity’s sake, of course. “This Farpoint Station will be an excellent test.”

“All present, respectfully stand,” called the Court Bailiff. 

With that, the court was quickly closed, and between one breath and the next, they were back on the battle bridge, Q’s final words echoing across Jean-Luc’s thoughts.

_ “Captain, you may find that you are not nearly clever enough to deal with what lies ahead for you. It may have been better to accept sentence here.” _

* * *

Commander Riker was a thoroughly competent man. He had a glowing and well padded resume (for the most-part) and he wasn’t greatly unsettled either by Jean-Luc’s gruff attitude upon their first meeting, or the footage they had of the encounter with Q. He performed the manual Saucer-Stardrive docking with an easy confidence. 

So far, Jean-Luc liked what he had seen. The man could make an excellent First Officer, especially given his reasoning behind the only blot on his record. The kind of strength to stand up to a captain who was behaving unsafely or irrationally was exactly the kind of strength that Jean-Luc was looking for in his command team. 

Riker was industrious, too. Already, he had made progress towards figuring out the mystery of Farpoint Station, which was rather a good thing since nearly half of the time Q had allocated them to solve the mystery had elapsed.

“This planet’s interior heat provides an abundance of geothermal energy, but it’s about all this world does offer,” Riker said, pacing Jean-Luc’s ready-room.

“And it’s your belief that this is what made it possible for them to construct this base to Starfleet standards?”

“Yes, sir. We have to assume that they’ve been trading their surplus energy for the construction materials used here. According to our ship’s scans, many of the materials used are not found on this world.”

No… a secret trade deal was too mundane for a puzzle set by Q. There was another aspect of Riker’s report that looked more promising an avenue.

“Perhaps it’s like those incidents you describe in your report as almost magical attempts to please us.”

“Those events did happen, sir!”

“I don’t doubt it. None of this suggests anything threatening. If only every life-form had as much desire to please,” Jean-Luc said, feeding his lionfish. “Ready to beam down? I’m eager to meet this Groppler Zorn.”

Riker was at his heels as his strode from the room.

“I’ve a feeling there’s more to it than just trying to please us, sir.”

“As if it’s something Q is doing to trick us?” Jean-Luc noticed Troi approaching and waved her over. “I’ve asked the Counsellor to join us on this meeting. May I introduce our new First Officer, Commander William Riker. Commander Riker, this is our ship’s Counsellor, Deanna Troi.”

The two shared a deep look, and Jean-Luc recognised the distinct feel of nearby telepathy — it was something like a distant-sounding susurrus according to his human senses. Had they met before? It certainly seemed like they knew each other well. Perhaps they were even imzadi. They were of a similar age, after all. That could prove a lucky coincidence, if they were able to survive past this challenge. Jean-Luc liked his teams to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses well.

During the journey to the transport pads and through the Station, Jean-Luc noticed many more short bursts of telepathy between them, though he made sure not to pay any close attention to them. As far as Deanna was aware, Jean-Luc had been psi-null his entire life, and he’d like to keep it that way.

They _ must _ be imzadi. Already their movements were growing synchronised, anticipating each other’s actions as their thought patterns grew familiar with each other once more. 

It was unexpectedly painful to watch them together. Among the Q, intense pairbonds were commonplace and encouraged, both as a defense against the boredom of an eternity of existence and as a delight designed to bring unity to the Continuum. It was more than imzadi, beyond t’hy’la, although both words came closer to describing the relationship than anything in human languages. 

At least in this instance, his companion was nearby. Admittedly, they were on opposing sides, and Q hadn’t recognised him yet, but there was a puzzle between them, waiting to be solved. And every moment Jean-Luc went unrecognised was yet another moment that he had successfully fooled Q, which in itself was an impish sort of fun.

Jean-Luc brought himself back from his wistful thoughts when they arrived at Groppler Zorn’s office. The Bandi leader was polite enough greeting them, but he grew visibly nervous when he noticed Deanna was a Betazoid, even going so far as to accuse her of probing his thoughts. Jean-Luc had to wonder whether it was simple prejudice against telepathic races, or if he was hiding something more sinister. He was certainly behaving suspiciously. 

“Starfleet may be interested in your constructing starbases elsewhere also,” Jean-Luc said, watching Zorn carefully.

“We are not interested in building other facilities,” Zorn replied.

“If I may, Captain,” Riker interceded, “Then a trade, Groppler? Some things you need in return for lending us architects and engineers who can demonstrate your techniques.”

“Bandi do not enjoy leaving their home world. If Starfleet cannot accept that small weakness, then we will be forced, unhappily, to seek an alliance with someone like the Ferengi, or—”

Deanna gasped, tears quickly pouring down her face.

“Counsellor? What is it?” It had to be something strong to overwhelm her empathy so quickly.

“Do you want it described here, sir?” she asked wetly. 

“Yes. No secrets here if we're to be all to be friends. Agreed, Groppler?”

“We ourselves have nothing to hide, of course,” Zorn replied, but despite his words he seemed even more alarmed now than he had been when he’d realised Deanna was Betazoid. 

“Pain. Pain. Loneliness. Terrible loneliness. Despair. I'm not sensing the Groppler, sir, or any of his people, but it's something very close to us here.” 

After her comment, the conversation quickly turned into an argument, Zorn using bluster and a loud voice to derail any inquiry. They had likely gained all they could from him for now, so they left for the _ Enterprise _, while his other teams investigated things more directly.

* * *

The waiting was one of the most frustrating parts of being a captain. Down on the planet’s surface, two teams were searching for answers while Jean-Luc sat idle in the captain’s chair. At a lower rank, Jean-Luc would be right down with his teams, exploring the mystery of Farpoint Station himself, but a captain had other responsibilities, staying back to coordinate others. His purpose aboard the ship was not to explore, but to lead, and to make the difficult decisions when needed. Truly, he missed the more active side of space-faring, but the sacrifice was worth it for the level of autonomy he possessed now. 

The sound of the turbolift drew his attention, and the doors flew open to reveal—

“Children are not allowed on the Bridge,” Jean-Luc barked, perhaps a little harsher than necessary, or so said the arch of Beverly Crusher’s brow when she stepped into view. 

“Permission to report to the captain,” she said, and oh, it had been so many years since he last saw her, but that spark in her eyes was still so familiar.

“Doctor Crusher.” 

“Captain. Sir, my son is not on the Bridge. He merely accompanied me on the turbolift.”

“Your son?”

“His name's Wesley. You last saw him years ago when—” She cut herself off, giving Jean-Luc a significant look. He knew when. It had not been a particularly pleasant occasion. Funerals rarely were. 

“Well, as long as he's here,” Jean-Luc said, looking over the boy again. It was easy to pick out hints of Jack among his features, now that he was looking for them. Something in the shape of his jaw, his lanky build — Jean-Luc imagined they would look rather similar once Wesley was an adult. “I knew your father, Wesley. Want a look around?”

The boy stepped cautiously onto the Bridge, glancing around in wonder and quickly building delight. His eyes went even wider when Jean-Luc gestured for him to sit at the Captain’s chair. 

He certainly wasn’t expecting the boy to recite all the functions at the control panel as if he were an operations manual. 

“How the hell do you know that, boy?” For obvious reasons, the schematics for the key functions around Starfleet vessels — including the Bridge operations and Captain’s chair — were unavailable for access by the general public. Even cadets weren’t taught the exact details until their second year, and Wesley wasn’t a cadet.

“Perimeter alert, Captain!” the boy announced, in lieu of answering. 

“Wesley!” Beverly reprimanded, and Wesley leapt from the seat.

“I'm sorry!”

“You shouldn't have touched anything—”

“Off the bridge! Both of you,” Jean-Luc interrupted, taking his seat back to check the panel Wesley had been fiddling with.

“You have a perimeter alert, sir,” Worf said.

“As my son tried to tell you!” Beverly called over, just as the turbolift doors closed. She still had a talent for getting in the last word. 

Jean-Luc pushed aside any further ponderings on this new and turbulent twist in his relationship with Beverly to focus on the more immediate problem of the bizarre ship now approaching. The ship — a colossal disc made of silvery metals and pulsing purple light — didn’t look like any belonging to a Federation race or one of their known civilisations. 

“Hail it,” Jean-Luc commanded.

“We've been trying, sir. No response,” Worf said.

“Raise all shields, phasers at ready.” Best to err on the side of caution when contacting new races.

“Shields up, sir. Phasers ready.”

“Get me Groppler Zorn. And continue universal greetings on all frequencies.”

In the end, Zorn didn’t offer any new answers, though it did end up revealing some of Zorn’s duplicitous negotiations. Worf was able to confirm that the vessel didn’t match any known ship, and that was when a strange purple light enveloped the Enterprise, lasting only a few seconds.

“Sensors say we were just scanned, sir,” Worf said, a trace indignantly. It brought a wisp of a smile to Jean-Luc’s lips. 

There was something about the strange vessel that seemed nearly familiar. Jean-Luc was certain he had seen something similar before, in the years before he became human. Unfortunately, there was a high chance that that particular memory was locked away alongside his Q abilities (human minds were so small, they could only fit so much inside before they burst. During his brief brush with death in his youth and the sudden onslaught of eons of memory, he had been rather selective about what to keep and what to lock away again). 

And then the strange vessel began to fire upon the old Bandi City.

* * *

“They’re forcing a very difficult decision on me, Counselor.”

“But I doubt protecting the Bandi would violate the Prime Directive. True, they are not actual allies, but—”

“—We are in the midst of diplomatic discussions with them,” Jean-Luc continued. “Lieutenant, lock phasers on that vessel.”

“Phasers locked on, Captain.”

Before he could say another word, a bright light and a high-pitched ringing materialised at the front of the bridge, fading away to reveal Q in all his courtly regalia and wearing his characteristic smirk. 

“Typical, so typical. Savage life-forms never follow even their own rules,” Q said.

“Get off my bridge!” Jean-Luc snapped. Why would Q bother to intervene now, of all times? Boredom, perhaps? Q did so enjoy playing with mortals at his mercy. It was rather less endearing from this side of things. 

“Interesting, that order about phasers,” Q said, ignoring Jean-Luc’s command. 

“Phasers standing by, Captain,” Tasha called out.

“Please, don’t let me interfere. Use your weapons.”

“With no idea who was on that vessel, my order was a routine safety precaution.”

“Really? No idea what it represents? The meaning of that vessel is as plain as the noses on your ugly little primate faces.” He was offering a _ clue _, then. Or perhaps... was he protecting something? That was rare, for Q. “And if you were truly civilized, Captain, wouldn’t you be doing something about the casualties happening down there?”

Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes but didn’t break his gaze from Q as he contacted Beverly.

_ “Medical teams already preparing to beam down, Captain,” _ came her swift reply. 

Jean-Luc quirked an eyebrow at Q. “Any questions? Starfleet people are trained to render aid and assistance whenever—”

“But not trained in clear thinking,” Q interrupted. 

“Let’s consider your thoughts!” Jean-Luc retorted. “You call us savages and yet you knew those people down there were going to be killed. It is your conduct that is uncivilized.”

Before Q could reply once more in his typically aggravating manner, Worf cut in, “Sir, they’re firing on the planet again.”

Jean-Luc glanced back to Q, who was giving that infuriating smirk once more. 

This was it. Somehow, Jean-Luc already had enough pieces of this puzzle to solve it, he was certain. He just needed to work out how to assemble them, and he had a strong suspicion it would require finesse and not violence. There was more going on here than what was obvious. 

“Maneuvering jets, conn. Position us between that vessel and the planet,” Jean-Luc said, stepping around Q. “Force fields full on.”

“Aye, sir,” Worf acknowledged, taking position. “Impulse power to… we have no ship control sir! It’s gone!”

Right. Like it would be that easy. Jean-Luc aimed a glare at Q for good measure (Q winked back at him) as the strange vessel continued to fire on the Bandi city. Before he could say another word, there was a transmission from Riker down below. 

_ “First Officer to Enterprise. We’ve lost Zorn. He just disappeared in what looked like a transporter beam. Question, sir. Could it be this Q?” _

“None of you knows who transported him!” Q said with glee. “You’re running out of time, Captain!”

What was it, what was it, what was it!? A strange circular base, built of unlikely and rare materials. Items appearing magically out of thin air. A strange discoid ship, matching no known design or specification. Q’s warning about firing on the strange vessel, seconds after Deanna Troi explained how it wouldn’t violate the Prime Directive—

Maybe that was the key. The Prime Directive was designed in order to protect other races from the Federation, particularly those that were vulnerable to exploitation. 

“Captain,” Deanna spoke up, “Suddenly I'm sensing something else. Satisfaction. Enormous satisfaction.”

“From the same source as before?” Jean-Luc asked.

“No, that was on the planet. This is much closer.”

Aliens, they were dealing with aliens. Some species unknown to the Federation. Ones which used technology in a way unlike any other, ones which were presumably being exploited by the Bandi, which could explain the pain and despair Deanna sensed down on the planet. The satisfaction that their allies were feeling, having captured their enemy—

“Excellent, Counsellor. He's such a dullard, isn't he?”

But why the loneliness? Why would that be intense enough to feel alongside the pain and despair? Surely the Bandi would be keeping their prisoners in the same general area, they would have each other at least. And why would Q intervene anyway, he usually delighted in the way the “lesser” races would turn on each other—

_ “Captain, from Transporter Room. First Officer and Mister Data have beamed aboard.” _

The station and the strange vessel had a similar mass, both large and discoid, both associated with intense emotion—pain and lonely despair down below, satisfaction above—maybe not a race of aliens but a pair of them! One that was lost, injured, captured by the Bandi and so terribly lonely, while above its mate did their best to free them. Aliens that had the ability to manipulate the reality around them much like a holodeck could—

“Excellent also! Perhaps with more of these little minds helping—”

“That is enough, damn it!” Jean-Luc snapped. Q’s eyes narrowed.

“Have you forgotten that we have an agreement—”

“An agreement which you are at this moment breaking by taking over our vessel, interfering with my decisions,” Jean-Luc pointed out. 

“Temper, temper, _ mon Capitaine _,” Q teased, and French really did sound unfairly sultry when Q spoke, “I'm merely trying to assist a pitiful species. But perhaps I will leave if Commander Riker provides me with some amusement.”

“And you are so certain we could not possibly solve this test of yours otherwise? Any action that we of this ‘pitiful species’ are capable of taking, I assure you we are well capable of thinking up without your interference!” 

“Mind your tongue, mortal, or I’ll remove it.”

“Then until the temptation grows too great, I suggest you be silent and let us work!”

Q looked unamused, drawn tall and menacing and expressionless. Jean-Luc didn’t look away, staring him down. And then Q grinned. It stole Jean-Luc’s breath.

“How brazen you are, _ mon Capitaine _ ,” he murmured. “Very well, what would _ you _ do next? And _ do _ explain your reasoning, I find I’m interested in the discrepancies between what you say and what you think.”

When had he moved closer? Jean-Luc could feel Q’s every word against his skin. Q’s eyes were glittering, daring Jean-luc to step forwards. 

So Jean-Luc disengaged, turning back to the crew while deliberately ignoring the fact that Q was circling him now, slowly. 

“Deanna, you can sense the emotions from the other vessel from here?”

“Yes, Captain.” 

“Tell me, is it a group you are sensing, or a single source?” he said, staring straight at Q, who had suddenly gone very still.

“I… it is a single alien. It isn’t merely a vessel, it is somehow alive,” Deanna said, voice tinged with awe. “How did you know?”

“A hunch, nothing more.”

“I’m curious too,” Q said, his expression pensive except for the hint of a smile around the mouth and the burning delight behind his eyes.

“Your curiosity will have to wait until a less time-critical moment, Q,” Jean-Luc said. “Number One.”

“Yes sir?” Riker said, side-eying Q as he stepped forwards.

“Arrange an away team. I think it’s far past time that we get some answers, although I have a suspicion you’ll find the corridors somewhat similar to the ones from below Farpoint Station."

"Right away, sir."

* * *

Eternity is boring without company. Mind-numbingly so. When you were an entity that was omnipotent, omniscient, and immortal, you ran out of new things to do within the first few hundred millennia. Q certainly had. Normally it wasn’t quite so grating, but normally whenever the concept of Eternity became unbearably dull he would seek out The-Q-That-Was-His-Companion. Q hadn’t heard from them in nearly a century, which wasn’t long in the grand scheme of things, but the last time they had spent so much time apart without even a distant psychic “I’m not dead”, Earth’s Life hadn’t yet left the oceans. 

Not to say that they lived in each other’s pockets. Q was quite capable of entertaining himself without his companion’s company, and vise versa — their personalities had a tendency towards clashing (in a well meaning, competitive, and often flirtatious manner) so sometimes they needed a little distance from each other. It just made their reunions all the sweeter. 

Until then Q needed distractions. 

Playing with mortal races was passingly entertaining, Q supposed, but testing them for the Q Continuum was a chore and a half, not in the least because it required Q to _ interact _ with the Continuum. And then on this boring little mission to intimidate these boring little mortals on their boring little semi-militaristic ship, Q had the good luck to find a mortal who was actually _ interesting! _

It had been a few minutes now since Riker and his team had beamed across, taking half of the senior crew with him. Jean-Luc Picard was sat in the captain’s chair, pointedly ignoring Q’s presence while he waited for news. Q watched him from across the room, trailing telepathic feelers through Jean-Luc’s mind.

Jean-Luc was going to win this little test. Q could feel it now, the echoes of his victory rippling from the future. The away team were quickly closing on on Groppler Zorn, and once they returned to the Enterprise and confirmed Jean-Luc’s theory, Jean-Luc intended to send a beam of energy down to “Farpoint Station”. 

Jean-Luc glanced in his direction before quickly turning away. Q smirked, gently tracing over the chemical arousal in Jean-Luc's amygdala. The human really had no scale to understand how transparent he was to a Q. Not a single desire could pass across his mind without Q's noticing. Silly, simple thing. It was adorable.

"Indulge me as we wait, _ mon Capitaine,_" Q said. "Tell me your thoughts. What will happen next?"

Jean-Luc responded with a narrow-eyed glare, which didn’t at all match with the bright curiosity Q could sense from him. Any entity with even a _ passing _ ability for telepathy would be able to pick _ that _ up. 

"We'll send an energy beam down to Farpoint Station,” he said. “Hopefully the poor creature that landed there will be able to build its strength enough to escape the Bandi."

"Why an energy beam?"

"It is my theory that this creature is able toto feed on pure energy and can transform it into matter at will. Dr Crusher and Riker both reported the sudden appearances of items that they had idly mentioned, as if by magic, in what appeared to be an attempt to please. The ship before us could have formed in the same way."

"What a fanciful idea! A being that can manipulate energy and matter with only a thought!"

"It isn't really so outlandish, we run a similar technology on the holodecks. And then there is always you."

"Me?"

"Yes. From the moment you first appeared you have been playing with matter and energy like it was easy as breathing. Statistically, you can't be the only species that does so, though you are by far the most annoying."

“All I’m hearing is jealousy.” 

The away team contacted the bridge over the conn before Jean-Luc could retort, giving a half-hearted glare as he refocused on the task before him. Q laughed softly. 

The next few minutes were a wonderful opportunity to watch Jean-Luc’s natural inclination to leadership in action, even if the problems he was dealing with were far below his aptitude. Was he the only competent mortal on this crew? Even their Betazoid Counsellor was struggling, despite her natural ability for empathic and telepathic communication. One exceptional human for every thousand wasn’t too bad, but it certainly wouldn’t do their race any good if the rest of them were so eager for blood and death. 

Under Jean-Luc’s guidance, the little team managed to survive another day, and even managed to retrieve Groppler Zorn too. Amazing.

“Energy beam ready, sir,” Tasha Yar announced. Jean-Luc nodded, smiling. 

“Lock it in on Farpoint Station. Let it have whatever it can absorb. Energise.”

The energy beam was highly effective, of course, and very soon both of the aliens revealed their natural forms, moving to embrace each other with glowing tendrils. Jean-Luc smiled briefly at them—now this was interesting! Why did that loving greeting inspire such jealousy and longing in Jean-Luc? Q had read his memories, he had nothing there that one could call a Great Love. Perhaps it was a secret desire of his, to find and bond to a so-called soulmate…

Jean-Luc shook those thoughts away, and turned to face Zorn, grim and expressionless while his fury rose like a tsunami. Q watched closely.

“Please believe me, we meant no harm to the creature. It was starving for energy!” Groppler Zorn grovelled for mercy. 

“Which your world furnishes you in plenty,” Jean-Luc said calmly, prompting Zorn to dig himself deeper.

“We did feed it!” he cried, and Q grinned as Jean-Luc’s composure snapped. 

“Only enough to keep it alive, so that you could force it to shape itself into whatever form you needed!”

_ Oh my. Righteous anger did suit him rather well. _ Q snapped his fingers, transforming the judge’s costume he wore into a Starfleet Captain’s uniform, before wandering over to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jean-Luc while Zorn cowered before him.

With a gesture, Jean-Luc had Zorn removed from the bridge.

“Sir! Wonderful! A feeling of great joy. And gratitude. Great joy and gratitude, from both of them,” Deanna Troi said, her eyes damp. Jean-Luc smiled again, that strangely wistful way.

“They’re called Zerilas,” Q murmured, leaning close to Jean-Luc's ear, and Jean-Luc swayed towards him as he spoke, attention focused on the joyous aliens reuniting on the viewscreen. “Functionally immortal, and generally peaceful beings. Rather rare to see them these days.”

“Why is that?”

“Oh, they were slaughtered by primitive races like the Bandi, for the most-part.” 

More righteous anger, this time directed at Q. Adorable little mortal! He really was remarkably willing to fight over every little injustice he discovered.

“Oh, don’t worry your empty little head about it, Jean-Luc, there’s nothing you could have done. It all happened millions of years before your species worked out how to use fire.” 

Jean-Luc turned to him. "You were around then, did you do something? Or were you playing with lives for your own amusement even then?" 

Q spun to face him, relishing the little flinch that went through the human when he realized how close they were standing, and the same brazen attitude that stopped him from backing down.

"What sort of higher being would I be if I allowed intelligent lifeforms to be destroyed by insects that have only just learned to fly?"

Absurdly, Jean-Luc smirked, and oh that did strange things to this physical form's heart rate. 

"You gave us this task so that we might save the injured Zerila."

"Who do you think told zer where zer mate had crash landed? It certainly wasn't you lot." 

Jean-Luc chuckled softly. Together they watched as the Zerila pair drifted away, and Q could nearly pretend that the other more irritating mortals weren’t in close proximity. 

“So, does this mean we pass your little test?” Jean-Luc asked eventually.

Q hummed non-committedly. “The puzzle was a rather simple one.”

“A simple ‘yes’ would suffice.”

Q arched an eyebrow rather than answer, which did nothing at all to dispel the amusement in Jean-Luc's eyes.

"Until next time, _mon téméraire Capitaine._"

Q discorporated his human body, slipping back into his native form, which was coincidentally undetectable by modern human equipment. There was one last thing to do before he left, a gift of sorts as thanks for being passably interesting. 

Q sent a tendril of energy trailing through Jean-Luc’s nervous system, lighting up old dormant genes. It was only fair, after all, and Q had promised to be absolutely equitable during this trial. Little did Jean-Luc realise, the trial was only just beginning.

With a grin, Q disappeared.

* * *

Back on the Enterprise Bridge, Jean-Luc was speechless. 

Had Q really just—? He had! 

Q had activated the part of Jean-Luc’s human brain that had evolved to process psychic sensory input. When they next encountered each other, Jean-Luc would be able to sense if Q was playing around in his thoughts and mind! Well, unofficially Jean-Luc had already had that ability as a Q, but this meant he had an excuse to acknowledge that power the next time they met! He could challenge Q each time Q read his mind!

It took all his willpower not to break into raucous laughter right there on the bridge. Q's next visit would certainly prove interesting!


End file.
